Gogo has wasted no time in installing its new hybrid air-to-ground (ATG)/Ku-band inflight connectivity system Ground to Orbit (GTO) on its newly acquired Boeing 737, which has been nicknamed “Jimmy Ray” after one of its founders.

The aircraft will serve as a testbed for GTO, 2Ku and other Gogo technologies. Gogo showcases the GTO install process in the video below.

Virgin America previously signed on as a launch customer for GTO but multiple sources later told RGN that the carrier  might be shying away from the GTO option, preferring the 2Ku solution announced in April 2014 instead.

The 2Ku option is satellite-only, completely removing the ATG communications channel from the planes, while using two ThinKom Ku antennas versus a single ThinKom antenna found on GTO. A final, formal announcement has not been released.

The benefits of GTO might shine through once the Federal Communications Commission auctions new spectrum for ATG connectivity in the United States, and if Gogo acquires a license, as is anticipated.

https://vimeo.com/125017353